Guitar Powerhouse Jared James Nichols is proud to unveil his new single, “Runnin’ Hot,” taken from his upcoming fourth studio album, Louder Than Fate, due out on June 5, 2026, via FrontiersMusic Srl. “Runnin’ Hot” was produced, mixed, and engineered by Jay Ruston. The accompanying music video was filmed, directed, and edited by Speed Rabbit Films.
Jared comments on the new track: “”Runnin’ Hot” was written with a dear friend of mine and rock-and-roll maniac, Tuk Smith. We wanted to tap into everything we love about this music, something real, raw, and fun. Shooting the music video took that mantra even further. Elvis James brought the same energy behind the camera, and the result is a laugh-out-loud, wildly entertaining watch.”
Louder Than Fate is not just an album — it’s a declaration. A record that speaks to resilience, conviction, and the unstoppable force of an artist who plays every note as if it truly matters. Loud, honest, and deeply human, this is Jared James Nichols at his absolute best.
Nichols comments on Louder Than Fate: “I’m beyond excited for this record. I’ve been counting down the days until its release like it’s a personal holiday. If the singles are any hint for you, there are plenty of riffs ripping through the speakers like a buzz saw. But going deeper into the record, there are tons of different emotions and sounds that I have yet to explore as a singer/songwriter. I am personally thrilled to share different shades of myself on this record, giving so much more depth and insight to the listener. Get ready for Louder than Fate“.
Produced and mixed by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour, Amon Amarth, Skindred, and SteelPanther) with additional production by Roger Alan Nichols (Larkin Poe and Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown), Louder Than Fate balances muscle and melody, combining thunderous riffs, searing solos, and emotionally charged vocals with a modern, punchy production. The songs move effortlessly between hard-hitting rock anthems and more reflective, dynamic moments, showcasing Nichols’ ability to fuse classic influences with a contemporary edge. Tracks like “Bending or Breaking” and “Killing Time” expand the sonic palette with subtle keyboards and cinematic string arrangements, adding depth without ever sacrificing power.
Since his breakout debut, Jared James Nichols has built a reputation as one of the most electrifying guitarists and performers of his generation. Known for his unmistakable tone, fearless playing style, and commanding stage presence, he has toured extensively across the US and Europe, sharing stages with some of the biggest names in rock and earning praise from fans and critics alike.
A set of record-release shows kicks off in Teaneck, NJ, on May 29th, and a list of his upcoming live dates can be found here.
Killswitch Engage — Jesse Leach on vocals; Adam Dutkiewicz on guitar; Joel Stroetzel on guitar; Mike D’Antonio on bass; and Justin Foley on drums — have just added more tour dates to their upcoming 2026 tour schedule.
The band will first embark on a headline tour, which kicks off June 3 in Detroit and runs through June 27 in San Francisco, and includes appearances at Milwaukee Metal Fest and DC Warped Tour Weekend. Support will come from Machine Head, Iron Reagan, and Havok.
They will then head to Canada in August for a headline run, from August 5 through August 16. Machine Head and Malevolence will support. The Canadian trek includes appearances at the Rock La Cauze Festival and Burt Block Party.
KsE have also added more U.S. dates in September, with Machine Head, Rivers of Nihil, and Judiciary. Those dates run from September 19 through October 1 and include appearances at Louder Than Life and Aftershock.
“We are all beyond excited to get back on the road in support of our latest album This Consequence,” says Leach. “This upcoming run will see us bringing two distinct and devastating lineups across Canada and a small run around the United States. Each lineup is built to deliver a unique and crushing experience.”
He elaborates, “For our Canadian dates, we’ll be hitting major cities alongside the legendary Machine Head and the relentless force that is Malevolence. This is a power trio bill designed to level every stage we step on pure intensity, groove, and aggression. Canada, roll up!”
He continues: “For our United States run, we’re bringing a different kind of devastation. Joining us are once again the legends Machine Head, the prolific heaviness of Rivers of Nihil, and the raw, unfiltered intensity of Judiciary. This lineup delivers a dynamic blend of atmosphere, technicality, and sheer hardcore aggression!”
Leach finishes: “Two unique lineups, one mission: To tear it up everywhere we go. Hell yes, my friends!”
The artist pre-sales begin today at 12pm PT and run through Thursday, August 16 at 10pm local time. The general on-sale is set for Friday, April 17 at 10am local time. All upcoming dates and/or to purchase tickets check here.
Arizona extreme metal trailblazers Soulfly unleash the groove-heavy onslaught of “Favela/Dystopia”. Taken from their latest album, Chama, the track features Zyon Cavalera commanding the kit, injecting a modern intensity into the band’s signature tribal-infused sound.
For this visual journey, the band enlisted Matt Creeptoon to bring the track to life through haunting animation. The video offers a stark, unflinching portrayal of life within the Brazilian favelas, perfectly capturing the gritty reality behind “Favela/Dystopia”.
Max Cavalera states: “Nightmare Before Christmas meets City of God! This video showcases the struggles of Brazilians living in the favelas, with the thrash Metal side of Soulfly’s Chama. Amazing animation by Matt Creeptoon!”
Chama was recorded at the Platinum Underground Studio in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino. John has worked with Max and company multiple times before and is not only a talented engineer but a family friend. The album was produced by Zyon Cavalera and Arthur Rizk. The latter was also responsible for the mixing and mastering. Rizk has not only worked with the Cavalera family numerous times before, but has also helped to shape the world of heavy metal in the modern day. Soulfly enlisted Carletta Parrish to create the album artwork. For the album, Igor AmadeusCavalera (Go Ahead & Die, Nailbomb, Healing Magic) played bass and Mike De Leon played guitar. The album also includes features from Dino Cazares (Fear Factory) and Todd Jones (Nails).
On another news, the onslaught continues! Soulfly are entering the home stretch of their U.S. trek, supporting the mighty Gwar on The Gor-Gor Strikes Back Tour with King Parrot. Purchase tickets here.
InsideOutMusic is pleased to announce the signing of progressive art-rock group The Pineapple Thief. Founded in 1999 by Bruce Soord, the band has long been one of the genre’s most successful and accomplished outfits, releasing 16 studio albums and touring worldwide. The band consisting of Soord on vocals and guitars, Jon Sykes on bass, Steve Kitch on keyboards, and Gavin Harrison on drums, are also now working on a new album for release in late 2026.
Bruce Soord comments: “Joining InsideOut is a definitive milestone for The Pineapple Thief. Having spent the past year developing new material, it became clear that InsideOut is the perfect home for our next musical journey. We are energized by this new partnership and can’t wait to reveal what we’ve been working on!”
Thomas Waber, head of InsideOutMusic, adds: “We are extremely excited to welcome ThePineapple Thief to the InsideOutMusic family. As longtime followers of the band, it feels like the right time to be working together, and we can’t wait to help bring their new material into the world.”
Now, the band is revealing headline tour dates across North America. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 17th at 10am local time here.
Nov. 17th Washington DC – Howard Theater Nov. 19th Philadelphia PA – Theatre of Living Arts Nov. 20th New York City NY – Gramercy Theatre Nov. 21st Somerville MA – Somerville Theater Nov. 22nd Quebec City QC – Capitole Nov. 24th Montreal QC – Beanfield Theatre Nov. 25th Toronto ON – Danforth Music Hall Nov. 27th Chicago IL – House of Blues Nov. 28th Cleveland OH – House of Blues Nov. 29th St. Louis MO – Delmar Hall Dec. 1st Dallas TX – The Bomb Factory Dec. 3rd Denver CO – Summit Dec. 5th Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom Dec. 6th San Diego CA – The Observatory North Park Dec. 8th Los Angeles CA – The Bellwether Dec. 9th San Francisco CA – August Hall Dec. 11th Seattle WA – Neptune Theater Dec. 12th Portland OR – Revolution Hall Dec. 13th Vancouver BC – Hollywood Theater
Acclaimed American hard rock band Tesla is proud to announce their new album, Homage, set for release on July 17, 2026, via Frontiers Music Srl. Marking a full-circle moment in their storied career, the album finds the band returning to their roots with a collection of covers honoring some of rock’s most timeless hits.
It is remarkable to reflect on the more than 40 years since Tesla began as a cover band performing in California nightclubs before going on to write and record original material and sell millions of albums.
Much like their musical heroes — The Beatles and The Rolling Stones—artists who honed their craft by performing songs from those who came before them, Tesla followed a similar path in their early years and continues to embrace the tradition of paying tribute through cover songs today.
Homage, the band’s upcoming album, not only honors legendary artists but also provides an opportunity to showcase lead singer Jeff Keith‘s vocal diversity. The album stands as a thank-you expressed through music, an offering to the iconic voices and songs that shaped the band’s influences and, ultimately, their own songwriting.
To offer fans a taste of what to expect on Homage, Tesla shares their cover of Climax Blues Band‘s iconic track, “I Love You” (2026 Version).
The band comments: “‘I Love You,’ like all the tracks on Homage, not only pays tribute to legends but gives us a chance to showcase our lead singer’s diversity as well as the musical dynamics we learned as a band many years ago.”
Homage is not about imitation, but acknowledgment, tracing the line from influence to identity, from listening to becoming. The project also arrives more than 20 years after the Real to Reel series, a release that helped inspire the creation of a new original Tesla song, “Never Alone.”
The selected songs on Homage were chosen for a variety of reasons, primarily representing some of the greatest vocalists of all time, including Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, DavidRuffin, Etta James, and James Brown. Additional selections reflect songs the band grew up hearing on the radio and on their turntables.
On the upcoming album, Tesla shares: “Our new album Homage is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to, and the songs we would eventually write. We hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it. Thank you for all the years – Keep it Real and Keep On Rockin’!”
Tesla is excited to be hitting the road this summer on The Return of the Carnival of Sins Tour with Motley Crue and Extreme. The tour begins on July 17th in Burgettstown, PA, and winds its way through the United States before concluding in Ridgefield, WA on September 26th. For a full list of dates and/or to purchase tickets, please see here.
Rising rock musician, actor, songwriter, and film producer Kurt Deimer has released his reinvention of “Silent Lucidity”featuring ex-Queensrÿche legend Geoff Tate, marking the latest single off Deimer’s sophomore full-length album, A Grog Is Born, out May 8th via his own Bald Man Records.
The gorgeous take on the 1990 power ballad also arrives with a powerful music video highlighting the growing suicide epidemic in the U.S., with a call to action for all those who need help. Check out the clip below.
“Working with Geoff Tate on this song was amazing,” shares Deimer. “Along with Chris Lord-Alge, Geoff is a huge mentor to me. The music video shows the raw footage of us all in the studio recording it because we really wanted to show the passion, heart, and soul that went into the recording process of this version of the song. Suicide prevention is also really important to me. I made a point to include information in the video to not only bring awareness but to hopefully encourage someone who needs help to get it.”
Dark progressive rockers The Paradox Twin have announced the surprise arrival of their third studio album, A Romance of Many Dimensions, via White Star Records, the label set up by John Mitchell and Chris Hillman. The record is available on all digital platforms now, and pre-orders for the physical edition of the album (May 8th) are underway.
This ambitious concept album explores the increasingly blurred lines between the real and digital worlds. The narrative centers on a protagonist living a life of loneliness, addiction, and isolation. He finds his only sense of purpose and identity when he logs into his computer, where he views himself as a robot in a vast digital landscape. His only friend is the silent crow from the game, who never speaks but is always there in times of need. When logged off, he is left with nothing; when logged in, he has a purpose. The album is a poignant journey through themes of escapism, love, and what it means to be human in an age of technological dependency.
Danny Sorrell, the visionary behind The Paradox Twin, shares his thoughts on this significant release: “We are extremely excited to finally announce our new album A Romance of Many Dimensions. Many months of hard work have finally paid off. It’s been worth the wait. There were a few bumps in the road here and there; I have had a very tough few years with mental health, and with the death of my sister, but I always try to channel it into my songwriting. I want to thank my wife, kids, and family in general for supporting me. I want to tip my hat to Chris Hillman for being amazingly strong over the past year. Thanks to John Mitchell for once again guiding songs and my craft in the right direction, and finally to you, reading this, who I wouldn’t be able to do this without.”
The Paradox Twin are known for their emotionally charged and conceptually rich music. Fronted by singer- songwriter Danny Sorrell, the band has received critical acclaim for their previous albums, including “The Importance of Mr Bedlam” and “Silence From Signals”, earning a dedicated global fanbase and nominations at the prestigious Progressive Music Awards.
The lineup, led by mastermind Danny Sorrell (writer, vocals, guitars, keys), is completed by the powerful rhythm section of Graham Brown (drums), with the atmospheric vocals of Sarah Bayley.
British guitarist, singer, and songwriter Billy Morrison says the filming of the video for “Becoming”—his new collaboration with Sully Erna (Godsmack) on lead vocals and NunoBettencourt (Extreme) on lead guitar—was nothing less than intense and, well, extreme.
“The ‘Becoming video’ is a pure performance video that utilizes the skill and aesthetic that our director Ivo Raza brings to the table,” begins Morrison. “Sully [Erna] and Nuno [Bettencourt] both travelled to Los Angeles and we filmed in two locations: a rain room—where we shot for hours through a sheet of water!!—and a disused warehouse in South L.A. with a backdrop of a wall of lights. I added Erik Eldenius on drums, who played on the song, and Brett Scallions on bass, a co-writer on the song, and we used ghost lenses and other distortion techniques to represent the transition through the song that Sully’s lyrics talk about.
“The shoot was hot, sweaty and very long, and every person, band and crew alike could not have been more accommodating,” he continues. “The goal was to make a kick-ass rock video and we achieved that and much more!!”
“Becoming” arrived at radio on March 27 as the first single from Morrison’s upcoming album Hollow due out sometime in August via TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. The powerhouse track was written by Morrison, Sully Erna, and Brett Scallions.
According to Morrison, “Becoming” is about “transforming out of the darkness and negativity of certain lifestyle choices and becoming a strong, positive and powerful force. For an in-depth description, you would have to ask Sully about the lyrics that he wrote.”
Two years ago, BillyMorrison released The Morrison Project via TLG | ZOID/Virgin Music Group. It marked his third solo album (and first since 2015) and produced the #1 Active Rock Song (Mediabase) in America: “Crack Cocaine” featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Stevens and co-written by all three artists. A deluxe edition of the album followed in 2025 and bonus track, “Gods Of Rock and Roll (Orchestral)”—another seismic collaboration with Osbourne and Stevens—landed in the Active Rock Top Ten (Mediabase).
The upcoming Hollow will follow the success of 2024’s The Morrison Project format with 12 songs, half sung by Morrison and half sung by a handful of ‘MORRISON’s‘s friends. Guests include Dexter Holland, Marilyn Manson, Chuck D, B Real, Duff McKagan, Steve Stevens, DMC, and the above-mentioned Sully Erna and Nuno Bettencourt, among others. “Forgive Me,” “The Tailor,” “No Suspects,” “Another Day,” “Leave No Trace,” and “Becoming” are among the song titles.
Billy Morrison is a British guitarist, singer, and songwriter, widely known as Billy Idol’s rhythm guitar player for the past 17 years alongside lead guitarist Steve Stevens. He is also a solo recording artist in his right having released three albums. Morrison is also a former member of The Cult and Circus Diablo and currently also performs with the superstar cover band known as The Royal Machines. In addition, Morrison is a contemporary fine artist whose Warhol-inspired work has been shown at top galleries. He also has a regular show, “Influenced,” on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard (ch. 38), where he delves deep into the dynamic relationship between art and music.
Two years ago, Kurdt Vanderhoof was done. Not on a break, not between albums: done. Metal Church had been shut down, the band told, the door closed. He had other projects, other plans, and apparently no shortage of conviction. “I just let it go to sleep,” he says. “I wasn’t going to announce anything. I shut the band down, told everybody, best of luck, you know — and I wasn’t going to do it.”
Then the calls started coming in.
“All these really good people started expressing interest in being involved, and I couldn’t say no.” That’s how Dead to Rights — Metal Church‘s fourteenth studio album and, depending on who you ask, one of their most vital in decades — came to exist. Not from a grand plan, but from a series of conversations Vanderhoof apparently couldn’t bring himself to turn down.
Photo by Rick Moyer
The result is a lineup that, on paper, reads almost absurdly loaded: drummer Ken Mary, bassist David Ellefson, vocalist Brian Allen,and longtime guitarist Rick Van Zandt, alongside Vanderhoof himself. It is, by his own admission, three-quarters rebuilt. But the bones are still recognizably Metal Church.
A lot of what makes Dead to Rights feel like a genuine return rather than a nostalgia exercise comes down to Allen‘s voice. Vanderhoof is candid about it. “David Wayne was a huge influence on him. Mike Howe as well. But David Wayne was a huge influence on his voice — so it has that sound just by his voice alone.”
That wasn’t an accident, exactly, but it wasn’t entirely calculated either. Vanderhoof describes the writing process as something that quietly bent toward the past once he knew who was going to be singing. “Knowing when I was writing the songs that his voice would sound like that, it kind of subconsciously allowed me to go in that classic direction. It kind of directed it, sort of.”
The album leans into that instinct. Opening tracks hit hard and fast; “F*ck Around and Find Out,” the lead single, has been closing in on half a million YouTube views since its release. But Dead to Rights isn’t content to bludgeon for nine tracks. Songs like “Heaven Knows (Slip Away)” dial back the aggression in favour of melody, something Vanderhoof sees as essential rather than incidental.
“I don’t like making a one-dimensional record if I can avoid it. I think it’s important to have balance.” He traces this impulse back to the Mike Howe era, when Metal Church began drifting further from their thrash origins toward something more melodic, more song-focused. “By today’s standards, we’re a hard rock band, by what’s considered heavy now. And that’s fine — but that’s just not my deal.”
Album opener “Brainwash Game” takes aim at online culture with the bluntness the title implies. Vanderhoof is measured about it in conversation — he’s not ranting, just observing — but it’s clear the subject gets under his skin in a low-level, persistent way. “You’ve got the professional trolls,” he says. “People who spend their day doing nothing but disliking videos and posting stuff anonymously, just insulting. And a lot of them are bots. It’s a really odd world.”
He brings up Rush unprompted, specifically, the online reaction to their recent reunion tour. As someone who counts them among his favourite bands of all time, he watched the pile-on with visible exasperation. “He’s singing great, but he’s singing differently because he learned how to actually sing, as opposed to when he was a kid, screaming. You have to learn how to sing, especially when you get up in our age.”
The broader point matters more to him than any particular band’s defence. “They’re one of the best bands in history,” he says flatly. “You don’t have to like it, but you don’t have to say stuff. Everybody gets that, no matter how good or how great you are.”
It’s a position he extends to his own work. Politics, opinion, provocation — none of it finds a direct home in Metal Church lyrics, deliberately so. “I definitely have my views politically, but I don’t like to mix that into the music because I like music to be an escape. It’s so divisive — the internet, social media, everybody’s got an opinion.” His preference is to observe rather than instruct. “I like to leave a little bit like, I wonder what he’s really saying. It’s more fun that way. And it’s just a little more artistic about it.”
Vanderhoof‘s decision to step back from touring in the late 1980s, at a point when Metal Church were selling records worldwide, is one of the more fascinating threads in the band’s history, and he addresses it without excessive drama. Part of it was financial disillusionment. “The word ‘recoupable’ became extremely — I really finally figured out what that meant,” he says, with the dry delivery of someone who took their time getting to the punchline. “You’re selling a lot of records and touring all over the world, and suddenly you go, I’m broke.”
But the more lasting motivation was craft. Recording The Dark with a proper producer flipped a switch. “The light bulb went on for me. I wanted to learn how to do this.” He knew that meant getting off the road.
“I love the shows — always did love the shows. But there are 21, 22 hours a day where you’re bored out of your mind. And when you’re 21 and immortal, drugs and alcohol certainly become a big part of it.” He pauses, then borrows a line from Rush: “You’re only immortal for a limited time.”
He’s clear-eyed about the cost. “That probably affected the trajectory of the band.” But equally clear about the tradeoff. “I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t do that.”
Metal Church head into 2026 with a tour that takes in the US Northeast, Canadian dates, a run of European festivals, and slots alongside Testament, Black Label Society, Iron Maiden, and Alice Cooper. The setlist will lean on the classics — it has to, with fourteen albums and a singer who can credibly handle the old material — but expect two or three cuts from Dead to Rights to make the cut as well.
What’s most striking about Vanderhoof in conversation isn’t the optimism, exactly; it’s the genuine bewilderment. He tried to end this band. More than once. “Every time I think it’s dead, it’s like, haha — fake you out.” He doesn’t say it with frustration. He says it like a man who has long since stopped fighting the fact that Metal Church, despite everything, still has more to say.
“I still get to do this. I still get to play music. And that’s why you do it for the love of music. I think that’s the most important thing for me.”
Fourteen albums in, and apparently, the band agrees. Dead to Rights is out now. Grab it here.
New York death metal icons Immolation have unleashed their twelfth studio album, Descent. This monumental release arrives on the eve of the band’s North American takeover.
To commemorate their new release, the band has unleashed their latest single, “Bend Towards The Dark”. The track is a sonic assault, fusing the band’s trademark sound with menacing leads and a barrage of merciless blasts.
Immolation comments: “We are excited to get one more single out as our new album Descent is finally released! “Bend Towards The Dark” is definitely one of the more ambitious tracks of the record. It has just about every element you would expect from Immolation, but takes things a bit further. It’s intense and heavy, yet becomes very epic and almost orchestral at times, really embodying a lot of feeling and emotion throughout. We really look forward to having “Bend Towards The Dark” out there to ignite the release of Descent! We hope everyone enjoys it!”
Descent was captured across two locations: Justin Passamonte tracked guitars, bass, and vocals at Jpass Music, while drums were recorded at Mercinary Studios with Noah Buchanan. The production was a collaborative effort between the band and long-time engineer Zack Ohren, who also handled the mixing and mastering. The result is a muscular, high-fidelity production that captures the band’s most fiery and brooding moments with equal clarity. To call Descent “heavy” or “brutal” is an understatement; this is death metal with a unique, elevated voice that stands entirely alone.
Visually, the band has once again tapped Eliran Kantor to craft a haunting cover masterpiece—a true hallmark of the Immolation aesthetic— complemented by Santiago Jaramillo’s (Triple Seis Design) internal booklet illustrations. With this release, Immolation reinforces their status as one of the most enduring and vital forces in the genre.
Immolation are currently trekking across North America for their Spring 2026 run. The tour features the band alongside Behemoth on the massive The Godless IV lineup, joined by Deicide and Rotting Christ, with several additional dates interspersed throughout the journey.
